It still wasn’t the breakthrough we were looking for, but last week’s federal funding announcement for BC Ferries was a good move and a promising sign that Ottawa is finally listening to our distant voices on the Wild West Coast.
Pledging, for the first time ever, federal infrastructure dollars to BC Ferries, including about $17 million for Langdale terminal upgrades, Ottawa has taken a big first step, as MP Pam Goldsmith-Jones said at the announcement. We hope she’s right that it will keep the “conversation going” about the extreme disparities in federal operating funds for Pacific and Atlantic ferries until that gap is closed.
We commend Goldsmith-Jones for championing the issue on behalf of her constituents and we urge her to keep the pressure on, reminding the government that our needs out here are no different from the needs of Atlantic Canadians.
As well, though the provincial Liberals are geared into high election mode, we take at face value BC Ferries president Mark Collins’ claim that Christy Clark’s government had a critical role in securing the federal infrastructure funding announced Friday. Well done.
Collins, who is just getting started in his role as boss of BC Ferries, surprised us during the announcement by acknowledging the chronic problems with Route 3 and admitting BC Ferries has not delivered the level of service here that customers rightly expect. We predict he will be taken up on his offer to engage the community to find solutions.
The best move by BC Ferries in a long time, of course, was changing the Langdale to Horseshoe Bay schedule to one-hour sailings with smaller loads for two months this winter. Intended only as a stopgap during construction on berth one, the temporary operating model let the genie out of the bottle, proving that ferry travel to the Sunshine Coast and efficiency are not contradictory concepts after all. Route 3 passengers, some almost giddy over the change, also demonstrated that they can be a contented lot if provided with reasonably decent service.
Regardless of its intent, BC Ferries gave us a strong taste of what real improvements on the service side (if not fare side) look like, and the general support from all four provincial candidates for a permanent shift in that direction shows that the message has been delivered.
Realistically, the B.C. election will soon be over and Ottawa will continue to be on the other side of the country, so let’s keep the drumbeat going for as long as it takes.
